Friendship or Spite?
by carrots461
Summary: After the strike, everyone is glad to see Jack come back off the carriage...especially Sarah. Will Sarah come between Jack's friendship with David? Please R
1. Dinner mischief

(AN: I do not own any of the newsies, but I am responsible for their present temperament)  
  
Much to everyone's surprise, the carriage appeared around the corner, and seemed to be coming back toward the crowd. Jack whispered something to Governor Roosevelt, and then jumped out of the seat, and into the waiting arms of Sarah, giving her a very passionate kiss. Everybody couldn't help but smile from the joy of his return.  
  
Soon, the crowd started to break up, and the noise died down as the people went back to their lives, and Jack walked off with one arm around Sarah, and the other around Davey. Les ran merrily in front of them.  
  
"So you decided to stay after all, eh, Cowboy?" David's face was glowing.  
  
"Well, yea, I mean, I got more goin for me here than I would ever have in Santa Fe. And besides, the company ain't so bad either." Jack said with a smile toward Sarah.  
  
She blushed and grinned back sweetly. When she had seen him pull away in that carriage, fully intent on leaving for New Mexico, her heart ripped in half. Now that he had come back, she knew he wouldn't leave her again.  
  
They walked down the street in a happy silence, each thankful for Jack's decision. Their pace slowed as they came to the house, and once they reached the door Davey turned to Jack.  
  
"So, do you wanna come in for dinner? After all the excitement of the day I think we both could use something good."  
  
"Sure, why not?"  
  
The group made their way up the stairs and into the Jacobs' kitchen. Jack stayed for dinner often, so they always had a place for him set at their table.  
  
"Good evening Jack. You sure look like you've had a good day." Mr. Jacobs smiled at the boy.  
  
He really liked Jack, and was glad that he was rubbing off on his son. David was becoming more outspoken everyday, and he was sure that it was because of Jack.  
  
Throughout the meal the Jacobs' were regaled with the details of how all the workers came to support their cause, of Warden Snyder's arrest, and of Jack's ride in the carriage with the governor. All the children were speaking at once and Mr. Jacobs couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"Well, I see that the day has been a success then. I'm just glad it all worked out in the end. I'm so proud of you boys. To think that a group of newsboys could have done such a big thing. Great I tell you, great."  
  
Jack had never thought of the strike like that before. He had always seen it as a way for them to get the upper hand, and still be able to make a decent living. It was his train ticket out of here.  
  
"Maybe this really was a great thing," he thought to himself. "I mean, we did do it, and those hoity toity big shots finally got it through their thick skulls that we were right. We really made a difference."  
  
Jack was still deep in thought when he felt a sharp pain on his right shin. Sarah was smirking at him from across the table. The cowboy had never backed down from a challenge, so he kicked back at her. She jumped a bit from the shock at it, but she soon realized what was going on. Slyly, she jutted her foot back at him, and he did the same. They went back and forth like that for a few minutes before anyone noticed what was happening.  
  
"Sarah, stop flirting with Jack, it's shaking the whole table."  
  
Davey just grinned widely as his sister turned a deep crimson, and sunk into her chair. Everyone laughed at her embarrassment, including Sarah, and they continued to talk about the glory of the day.  
  
As they talked, the night grew darker, and Les had fallen asleep at the table. Jack glanced over at him and stood up.  
  
"It's gettin kinda late, I should be goin before Kloppman locks me out for da night."  
  
While he made his way to the door, he thanked the Mrs. Jacobs for dinner, said goodnight to Mr. Jacobs, and dropped Les off in his bed.  
  
"See ya tomorrow Davey, bright an early....Bye Sarah, see ya later." He looked at the girl and smiled.  
  
"Goodnight Jack." David and Sarah said, almost at the same time. Davey noticed the look they were giving each other, and added,  
  
"See ya tomorrow" as he shifted over, coming between their line of vision. Jack just turned toward the door and started on his way toward the lodging house, thinking about the day's success. His mind wandered though, and he thought of Sarah. A smile came to his face as he thought about her...especially that kiss. 


	2. A Brand New Day

(AN: I may not be able to post for a couple of days, because I won't be near an internet hook up…I'll have something ready though for when I get back( Also, thanx to Fastdancr and Redhood79 for reviewing!!!)  
  
Sarah awoke the next morning in a tired haze. She couldn't help but smile. She sat up lazily, and then let herself fall back down onto her pillow. The dream she had had last night was too great to want to leave. Finally compromising with the fact that she had to get up, she reluctantly pulled herself out of bed, and started to get ready.  
  
"I'll just keep that dream to myself." The girl smirked inwardly. Images of Jack along with other snippets of her dream danced around in her head as she pulled back her hair for the day ahead.  
  
She walked airily into the kitchen and started on breakfast. A few minutes later Les was up, and sitting at the table still going on about the strike.  
  
"I wonder what it'll be like out there today. Maybe, they'll think we did so well, that they will make us pay even less for our papes than before!"  
  
"I doubt that one, Les." David replied as he finished buttoning his shirt and sat beside his brother. "With all the money Pulitzer lost during the strike, my guess is that he would rather run around Manhattan naked than even think of lowering the price of papes." The boys shivered…the thought of Pulitzer naked was just wrong.  
  
Sarah took the pot off the stove and dished up some oatmeal for her brothers, and then filled bowls for her parents as well. She didn't care for oatmeal much, so she usually just skipped breakfast.  
  
"Something smells delicious out here!" her father came from his room grinning. "Did you decide to cook us some eggs and bacon this morning, Sarah?" the man mused.  
  
"Sure, papa, anything you want." She smiled at her father warmly, though he said the same sort of thing to her every morning. They were all tired of oatmeal, but with papa still hurt and out of a job, there's nothing they can do but be happy with the gross globby mess in front of them.  
  
The family ate their meal while Sarah got to some sewing, and then all got up at the same time to say goodbye and go their separate ways.  
  
"Les and I are off to go sell. We'll be back this evening." And with that they were out the door. Mr. Jacobs went into his room to go read for awhile, as he did every morning, and Mrs. Jacobs decided that it was time to clean the kitchen.  
  
Sarah could not seem to keep her mind on her sewing. With the clatter of her mother across the room, and the thoughts of the day before still circling around in her head…and that kiss…there was no way that she could possibly concentrate on making the proper stitches. She promptly stood up and set her work in the basket beside her chair.  
  
"Mama, may I please go for a walk? I feel the need to be outside today."  
  
Meanwhile, at the distribution office, Jack was giving Mr. Weisel his usual dose of mischief.  
  
"Heya there Weasel! And how are yaz today? Any good headlines?"  
  
"How should I know, I just sells em to ya rotten kids. Now hurry up, I don't wanna be here all day!"  
  
The chubby little man behind the counter snarled at Jack through the bars. He didn't like Jack at all; the kid was just too ornery.  
  
"OK then, a hundred papes." Jack tossed his money onto the counter, picked up his papers, and went off. "See yaz later Weasel."  
  
"Hey Cowboy, any good headlines today?"  
  
"Now how many times I gotta tell ya, Mush? Ya know that headlines ain't what sells the papes, newsies sells the papes. And don't you ever forget it."  
  
Mush rolled his eyes and nodded his head in understanding. He had heard that lecture a million times, he just wanted to know if there was anything about the end of the strike in there.  
  
After Davey picked up his papes, he and Les met up with Jack at the statue and started off to their usual spots.  
  
"So, Jack, I noticed you and Sarah were having a good time last night." David laughed. Jack only blushed. Dave had never seen his friend blush before, so he decided to take advantage of this chance.  
  
"Yea, I saw you two," he smirked and mockery filled his voice.  
  
Les caught on at that point, and the two started to make kissing noises at him. Jack's embarrassment and frustration got the better of him though, and turning, he shouted,  
  
"Hey, cut it out yous guys!"  
  
The brothers knew not to get Jack's temper up, so they let the matter drop. They just kept on going, selling their papes and collecting their money.  
  
"Baby born with half a head!"  
  
"The Pope outlaws beer!"  
  
"Corpse found in the local bakery!"  
  
Around noon, they headed off for Tibby's to meet up with the rest of the newsies for lunch. As they came in through the door, a flood of greetings and handshakes greeted them.  
  
"Heya Jacky-boy, Heya Davey! Howsit goin today?"  
  
"Hey Cowboy, come have a seat over here with us, cuz we was just arguing about the best places to sell, and you know em better then anyone!"  
  
"Davey! What's a big word for 'tripping'?"  
  
The boys joined their friends, and chatted merrily as they ate about the headlines, the strike, and any funny things anyone had noticed while selling. Boots saw a beggar lady with four hands, but she turned out to just be a lady with a kid in her lap. Blink saw a guy on a bicycle run into a tree, and Dutchy saw an old man picking his nose at a trolley stop. None of them had any clue of what was going on right down the block from where they were eating.  
  
(AN: sorry to leave ya here for the time being guys, but it's one way that I can try and keep you reading!! Any ideas on what's coming next? I have an idea, but I want to see what you guys think. I had to get boringness out of the way before I could get to the good stuff, you know how it goes! Please review!) 


	3. Terror in the Streets

(AN: sorry about how long it took me for this…the site was giving me some trouble, and laziness finally took its toll on me. Please review though and tell me what you think, or if you have any suggestions. Thanx a bunch!)  
  
The sun was warm, and it's heated rays were welcomed on Sarah's upturned face. There had not been a day this beautiful in weeks, and she was determined to enjoy every bit of it. With thoughts of Jack with spiraling around inside, and this gorgeous day around her, Sarah could not help but smile and dance a bit as she walked down the street.  
  
The girl was lost in her thoughts, however, and did not hear the hurried footsteps behind her.  
  
"Heya, girlie!"  
  
Sarah paid no heed, she really did not even hear that there was someone else around.  
  
"That bitch betta not be ignorin us," whispered someone rather loudly.  
  
That part Sarah heard, and whirled around to find herself facing two rather dirty looking men. Both were wearing filthy trousers, hole filled vests, and moth eaten shirts. Sarah could see that one man had teeth missing as he grinned menacingly at her.  
  
"Well now, the little girlie ain't as deaf as we t'aut."  
  
Sarah knew right away that these were not going to be friendly men, she she quickly turned around and started to off at a rapid pace.  
  
"Aww, c'mon girlie girl, don' be like dat!"  
  
The hurried footsteps started again, and this time Sarah was not as oblivious as before. She quickened her step, almost to a trot, and did her best to stay ahead of the two men. Her efforts were to no avail, however. Sarah felt a pressure on her arm and was pulled off the street.  
  
She found herself being shoved into a dark part of an alley, and was flung into the brick wall of a nearby building. The pain of the impact rushed throughout her body, but she kept her wits and remained painfully aware of every move the men were making. They were slowly closing around her so as not to make any sound.  
  
"A pretty little girlie like you don't need to go an' be rude to nobodys now. Dey mays be takin some offense to it."  
  
"You keep away from me and let me pass." Sarah warned.  
  
"Oua what? Da little girlie gonna beat us up?" The men laughed sinisterly and continued to move in on her.  
  
Sarah drew back against the wall. Seeing that they were not going to leave her alone, she did the only thing she could do. She pulled back her arm and let her fist fly into the nose of one of the men. His head jerked back in surprise, and he shook his head to clear his mind.  
  
"You stupid little bitch!" The man snarled as he came at her again. This time his friend was coming faster too. Sarah let loose a flock of punches, but they did no good. She tried to inch away to the side, but she was blocked by a cluster of garbage cans and tinder scraps. The men, angered by her resistance, came up on her, pinching and pulling at her dress. Sarah knew she could not let this go on, if she valued her life at all, she must do something. One man was all up on the front of her now, so she brought up her knee sharply and shoved him away as best she could.  
  
The man toppled over in pain, and she tried to make her escape. Out of the blue a sharp pain met the corner of her eye, and she was thrust into the group of garbage and tinder. Her head ached and pulsed profusely, and the man jeered at her.  
  
"Dat's what ya get ya stupid little bitch. Dat'll teach yas ta try n' fight back."  
  
Sarah fumbled around as the man drew closer to her, she could already feel his dirty breath on her face. Finally her hands found something, and her hands shook with the crash of the tinder wood collided with his face. The man stumbled back a bit, then fell back. She could hear the two men gasping for air as she made her way into the empty street.  
  
"How could I be so stupid," she thought downwardly to herself, "going into an empty street, alone, expecting to be completely safe. Aren't I the fool now!"  
  
The girl turned streets, she knew she had to find someone who cared. She needed to find someone….The throbbing in her face grew more painful by the second, and she could hardly see out of her right eye. There was a tingle by her mouth. She touched a finger to it, then touched it to her tongue. Blood. The man who hit her must have gotten her square where the nose and the eye could both be struck.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity of running streets, Sarah stopped. She leaned her hack against a building and slumped to the ground. With her good eye she could see the neighborhood around her, and it was familiar to her. But she did not care where she was. All she wanted was to sit let the pain go away. She put her forehead to her knees and sobbed. 


	4. A Painful Discovery

Disclaimer: I do not own the newsies.  
  
After finishing their food off at Tibby's, Jack, Davey, and Les grabbed the last of their papes and left to go finish off the stack.  
  
"See ya later, Cowboy!"  
  
"Lata, Davey!"  
  
"Jack, Davey, you in fa Medda's tomarra?! Let me know!"  
  
The boys acknowledged all the goodbyes and started down the street. The sun was nice, and Jack had a feeling that this was turning out to be a great day.  
  
"Dave!! Jack!! Get ova hea!!"  
  
Both of them turned to see Boots yelling at them from a little over a block away.  
  
"What's da matta, Bootsy!?" Jack jested, "Ya see six handed lady dis time?" He smiled and started to turn away, when he heard  
  
"Youz guys, come quick, it's Sarah!!!"  
  
Jack's heart went into his throat, Dave's mouth went dry. They started running over at what they thought seemed to be the speed of a snail crawl. Les trailed behind brandishing his wooden sword.  
  
Once they reached the corner, they found Boots already by Sarah, trying to calm her crying. Davey kneeled down by his sister, as did Jack, and he tried to sooth  
  
her weeping.  
  
"What is it, Sarah, huh? What's da matter? David tried his best but nothing was working.  
  
"Come on, sis, what's the matter? What happened?"  
  
At last, Sarah lifted her head and saw who all was there. She scanned the faces, and her gaze came to rest on Jack. He drew a deep breath in when he saw her look at him, her eye looked awful, and there was blood on her face. The cowboy had to restrain his tears as he looked at her, and could only hold her as she whispered "Jack!" through her sobs.  
  
Dave looked on with hurt on his face. His sister had always come to him with her problems before. Neither Jack or Sarah noticed the upset on his face though. They just sat in their embrace as Les was trying to ask her what had happened.  
  
After a bit Davey nudged his sister. "Hey, let's get you home."  
  
The boys all helped the girl up to her feet, and they started off toward home. Nobody asked what had happened while they walked; they knew she would tell all when she was ready.  
  
David's mind was flooded with emotions of pain and hurt at what had happened to his sister, and at her disregard for him. He could not believe that she would reach for Jack over him. The boy just did not know what to make of it all.  
  
Jack was focused on Sarah. He did his best to make sure she was alright, and comforted her often. Inside, he was planning out what he would do if he ever found out who did this to her.  
  
The silence remained, and the group made their way through the streets of Manhattan, and toward the Jacobs house. 


	5. Stinchy Answers

(AN: Sorry guys, there's been a lot going down lately and I haven't really gotten a chance to write anything.)  
  
Ann Valentine: Much as it would amuse me to see Jack hit the men with a trout, somehow I don't see that as quite Jack, but don't worry…it's all good.  
  
Hica Lynn: thanks a lot for the compliment! Reviews like that help me a lot.  
  
Fastdancr: thank you so much, you've reviewed almost every chapter and it's helped tremendously.  
  
Rae Kelly: thank you for reviewing, and I am really into one of your stories.  
  
  
  
Over the next few days things seemed to go on normally, but everyone was still anxious about Sarah and the dangers of the streets. Les clung to Dave when they sold papes, and Sarah wasn't allowed to go out by herself anymore. She protested, saying that she was fine, but it was no use; everyone was aiming for her protection.  
  
At work Jack and Davey would ask around to see if anyone knew anything about what happened that day. For the first couple of days, their inquiries turned up nothing.  
  
"Hey Davey, how's ya sista doin?"  
  
"She's doin just fine Crutchy, thanks for askin."  
  
The boys all went about their usual lunch time conversations of weirdnesses and lousy headlines. Then heads turned as another newsie walked through the door.  
  
"Heya, Stinch!! Howsit goin wit youz?"  
  
"Stinch! Where ya been da last few days? I ain't seen ya!"  
  
"Stinchy boy, come sit by me!"  
  
Stinch just nodded to all of the greetings and sat down casually. Jack and David looked at each other, and decided to take the chance. Stinch was known to sell around the worst streets in Manhattan. It was also not unordinary for him to be gone from the lodging house and not sell for days at a time. During those times he was always out with friends, gambling and drinking with some non-newsie friends.  
  
"Hey Stinch," Jack asked easily, "Youz was sellin on Tuesday, right?"  
  
"Yea, so what's it to ya?" the newsie asked suspicially.  
  
"Were you selling anywhere around Gansey Street that day by chance?" David asked.  
  
"So what if I was? It ain't a crime."  
  
Jack was getting annoyed at Stinch's coyness.  
  
"Look, Sarah ran into some trouble dare and we was wonderin if you saw anyting or hoid anyting dat coulda been about da guys who did it."  
  
"Ummmm, lemme see…Oh yea. Dat's right. Da Troy bruddas were givin people a hard time all day. Dey neva hurt nobody dat I saw though. Just teasin and pokin' fun. But I was done wit dat street by eleven, so who knows what happened afta dat." Stinch smirked, "Hope she didn't get banged up too bad. She was a cute little tart."  
  
"Shut ya mouth, Stinch!" Jack warned. It took all his effort to keep from knocking the boy's teeth out.  
  
After lunch, when the newsies all went out to finish selling their papes, Jack, Les, and Dave went out to find some answers. 


End file.
